Comedy Fest: Jason Chong’s Mum (Review)

COMEDIAN Jason Chong isn’t afraid to laugh at himself – or his mum. As Meld’s Tiffany Leong discovers, Jason Chong’s Mum is an entertaining blend of self-deprecating anecdotes and in-your-face comedy.

Jason Chong. Photo: Melbourne International Comedy Fest

Despite what its name implies, comedy show “Jason Chong’s Mum” is not a loving tribute by 31-year-old Chong to his mother. Instead, the show’s title is the funnyman’s attempt to get his audience laughing from the get go.

“I wanted everyone to be able to walk into the box office and say: ‘I’d like two tickets to Jason Chong’s Mum,’” he explains.

Mum jokes aside, Chong delivered the laughs through his own brand of humour, where audience interaction was key, starting with his “warm-up exercise”: calling the person beside you “a dickhead”. In a cheeky, harmless way of course.

As the show progressed into the night, it eventually became clear why Chong was given the late night 10.15pm slot. Packed full of blatantly sexual jokes with a fair share of cuss words, the comedian is best enjoyed by an “older” audience.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Chong also drew on his Asian-Australian background to make humorous,sometimes spot-on jokes about his heritage – though some could construe them as building on stereotypes or even racist.

But this audience felt no offence and were obviously well-entertained judging by the seemingly never-ending laughter throughout the show.

In short, Jason draws largely from his personal life stories and skillfully combines self-deprecating humour with punchy remarks to deliver one entertaining night.